


Hard Places Breed Hard Men.

by Proskenion



Series: Young Theon in Pyke [5]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Father-Son Relationship, Gen, It's All cute, Pre-Canon, Sweet and soft, as much as can be at least, little Theon, yes I mean it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-30
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2020-07-27 06:44:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20041636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Proskenion/pseuds/Proskenion
Summary: He laughed. "Windy and cold and damp. A miserable hard place, in truth . . . but my lord father once told me that hard places breed hard men, and hard men rule the world."Or that time when Balon find little Theon looking at the storm outside and takes a little time to talk with him.





	Hard Places Breed Hard Men.

**Author's Note:**

> This was entirely inspired by the quote from A Clash of King in the summary. I also wanted to explore a sweetest side of Theon and Balon relationship for quite a long time now. Hope you like it my wee squids :)

Theon was on tiptoe, trying to catch a glimpse of the storm through the window. Being only five, he was still too small to properly reach the edge of the window. He once tried to watch outside by climbing on a chair, but his mother had not been pleased by it at all, frightened he might fall out. So he desperately tried to make himself taller to have a look at the sea. 

‘What are you doing ?’

Theon jumped at the sound of his father’s voice. He turned around and mumbled, ‘I was trying to look outside.’ 

‘Why ?’ Balon asked. 

Theon looked at his father carefully, but he couldn’t read Balon’s inexpressive face. So, he said, ‘I don’t know, I like it, that’s all. I like the rain.’ 

‘Do you ?’ Balon asked with a smirk. Then he walked straight to Theon, who stepped aside slowly. He watched as his father opened wide the window. Then, Balon turned to his youngest son and, catching him below his arms, he lifted him and put him on the window sill, face to the outside. ‘What can you see ?’ he asked, without letting go of him. 

‘I… I see…’ 

‘Come on lad, tell me what you see !’

Theon took a breath in. ‘I see the islands. I see the rocks, and the waves crashing on them. I see the rain, and the stormy sea.’ 

‘Good,’ Balon said. ‘And the rain, can you feel it ? How does it feel ?’

Theon breathed in again. He closed his eyes to feel the kisses of the rain drops on his face. ‘It feels cold,’ he finally said. ‘It feels… It feels damp, but… It also feels nice. Familiar.’ 

‘And the sea, can you smell it ?’ 

‘Yes, father, I can.’ 

‘Do you like it ?’ 

‘Yes.’ 

For one moment Balon didn’t talk, didn’t ask anymore questions, and just stood there, his hands firm on Theon’s waist. The little boy stood still, feeling the rain and the wind crashing on his face, mingling with his hair. Looking straight in front of him, he could actually forget his feet leaning on the window ledge and his father’s strong hold on him, and it was almost like he could fly, being part of the rain and waves, of the storm itself. 

A flash of lightning parted the sky, soon followed by the roar of thunder, making Theon gasp. Balon asked if he was scared, and Theon shook his head slowly, his eyes still fixed on the sky. 

‘Good,’ said Balon. ‘You mustn’t be afraid. You’re still too young, but one day you’ll have your own ship with men under your command, and you won’t watch the storm from the safety of home. You’ll have to fight it, to make sure you are stronger than it, or you’ll die. Real storms are known when at sea in the middle of the night.’ 

Balon took Theon away from the window and put him on the floor at his feet. He made the little boy face him, he crouched in front of him, and, putting both his hands on his son’s shoulders, he declared, ‘hard places breed hard men, and hard men rule the world.’ Theon looked into his father’s eyes and nodded slowly. Balon clapped his hand on Theon’s cheek, softly but firmly, Then he stood up and ordered, ‘now go away, I don’t want to see you idling in here.’ 

Theon nodded again, more vigourously, then ran out of the room. Balon watched him do so, then went to close the window, the shaddow of a smile at one corner of his lips.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading <3


End file.
